Xia Feng was having a New Year's Eve dinner with Elder Huang and others in Yanjing, while Xia Lin was also starting her New Year's Eve dinner at Liu Jingru's house.
This wasn't Xia Lin's first time at Liu Jingru's home, so everyone was very familiar with her.
Liu Jingru had revealed some of Xia Lin's background to her parents, so they were very hospitable towards Xia Lin.
This was partly due to those reasons, but more so because Xia Lin had become a regular presence in their home.
"Lin'er, coming to Auntie's house is like coming home. Don't let Auntie have to urge you to eat more," Cai Wenli said with a smile, looking at Xia Lin.
Liu Jingru and Xia Lin were best friends, and they were also college classmates, as close as sisters.
Cai Wenli had long regarded Xia Lin as her own daughter, so she was very happy that Xia Lin could spend the New Year with them.
"Auntie, I know," Xia Lin replied, nodding and feeling completely at ease.
Liu Zhongwu, watching from the side, simply nodded and smiled. He secretly opened a bottle of baijiu and said, "It's New Year's Eve, I'll have some baijiu myself."
"Drink a little less. It's New Year's Eve, so I won't lecture you," Cai Wenli said to Liu Zhongwu.
"Mom, what else do you do on New Year's Eve if not drink?" Liu Jingru chimed in, siding with her father.
"Alright, Lin'er, you and I will have drinks. Let him drink baijiu by himself." Cai Wenli poured a cup of beverage and handed it to Xia Lin.
"Uncle, then we won't join you for drinks," Xia Lin said with a smile, taking the beverage.
"You don't need to join me. You are both girls, and it's best not to drink when you're out," Liu Zhongwu quickly shook his head, gesturing for Xia Lin and Liu Jingru not to drink.
After all, men understood men best, and no one liked their daughters drinking.
"Dad, we aren't drinking anyway," Liu Jingru explained.
"That's for the best," Liu Zhongwu nodded with a smile.
"Come, everyone, let's clink glasses. Welcome Lin'er to our home for New Year's Eve," Cai Wenli proposed, holding up her drink.
"That's right, welcome Lin'er to our home for New Year's Eve. May you come every year from now on," Liu Zhongwu also raised his baijiu glass and said with a smile.
"Uncle, Auntie, I wish you good health and all the best in the New Year," Xia Lin said, also raising her beverage.
"Come, everyone, Happy New Year," Liu Jingru gestured for everyone to clink glasses.
"Happy New Year."
The New Year's Eve dinner for the four of them was very joyful, and they happily celebrated the New Year.
After dinner, the four of them watched the Spring Festival Gala while playing mahjong.
"Shen Teng's skits are still the best. The others are getting more and more boring as I watch," Cai Wenli said while playing mahjong and watching television.
"Indeed, I like him a lot too," Xia Lin glanced at the television, thinking about whether to invite him to star in this year's movie.
If there was a suitable script for Shen Teng, she could consider it then.
"There's a saying that high 'Shen Teng content' in a movie guarantees box office success," Liu Jingru said with a smile.
This was indeed the case in the current film market; actors were very important for a movie to do well.
Audiences loved watching their performances, and there was nothing to be done about it.
"Indeed. Tomorrow we'll go see the movie 'Cultivator'. It's premiering globally on New Year's Day at 8 AM," Xia Lin nodded, but when it came to watching movies, she preferred to support their own first.
"Okay, we'll go tomorrow afternoon," Liu Jingru agreed.
"You two go ahead. Your father and I are going to visit your maternal grandmother's house to pay New Year's calls," Cai Wenli explained.
Besides, at their age, they didn't particularly enjoy going to the cinema.
...
On the first day of the New Year, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.
Early in the morning, Cai Wenli prepared two large red envelopes and entered Liu Jingru's room. She called out to the two still sleeping girls:
"Jingru, Lin'er, wake up! Here are your New Year red envelopes."
"Auntie, Happy New Year," Xia Lin said, opening her eyes and looking at Cai Wenli, who was dressed vibrantly.
"Aiyo... Happy New Year! Auntie hopes you both stay healthy, find good families, and be happy for a lifetime." Cai Wenli, with a joyful expression, handed the red envelope to Xia Lin.
Xia Lin had to accept this red envelope from Cai Wenli; it was a New Year's gift from an elder and couldn't be refused.
Xia Lin kept a record of Cai Wenli's kindness and intended to repay them many times over.
"Mom, you're wearing a big red robe and looking so festive," Liu Jingru asked, peeking her head out from under the covers.
"It's New Year's, so it should be festive. Hurry up and get up. I've prepared breakfast for you two, and we need to go to your maternal grandmother's house to pay New Year's calls soon."
Cai Wenli urged Liu Jingru, who was still curled up in bed.
"Okay, we'll get up right away," Liu Jingru nodded.
After urging them, Cai Wenli left, closing the door firmly behind her.
"Wenli, have Lin'er and Jingru gotten up? Breakfast is ready," Liu Zhongwu called out to Cai Wenli from the kitchen doorway.
"They're up," Cai Wenli replied.
In the room, Liu Jingru lay half on Xia Lin's side and said, "Lin'er, Happy New Year."
Xia Lin pinched her playfully and smiled, "In the New Year, I wish us both to become more beautiful."
"Hehe..." Liu Jingru wholeheartedly agreed.
The two of them dawdled for a while before getting up. After washing up, they began eating breakfast.
"Lin'er, Jingru, we're leaving to pay New Year's calls first. If you don't want to come to your maternal grandmother's house for lunch, you can just heat up the food," Cai Wenli instructed the two eating breakfast.
"Mom, we know," Liu Jingru nodded.
After giving instructions, Cai Wenli opened the door and left.
In a residential complex in Tianfu New Area.
Cai Wenli and Liu Zhongwu arrived at her mother's home to pay New Year's calls.
When Cai Wenli arrived, her sister Cai Wenmei's family was already there.
Also present were the sisters Zhou Lu and Zhou Li, as well as Zhou Li's good brother-in-law, Peng Gaojie.
On the first day of the New Year, Peng Gaojie was supposed to take his wife back to his uncle's house for New Year's calls. However, because of Liu Jingru, he had specifically come to his grandmother-in-law's house first this year.
Whether it was intentional or not, in Peng Gaojie's mind, Zhou Lu's maternal grandmother's house was more important.
If he didn't come, his uncle would likely beat him to death.
He recalled the feeling of the baseball bat hitting him at the club before, and he never wanted to experience that kind of "sourness" again.
He wished he could get a divorce, but he didn't dare.
In the end, Zhou Lu was Liu Jingru's elder cousin, so Peng Gaojie couldn't assert himself.
"Auntie, Uncle, Happy New Year! We're here to wish you a Happy New Year," Zhou Lu, Zhou Li, and Peng Gaojie respectfully greeted them.
"Good, Happy New Year everyone," Cai Wenli smiled and nodded, then looked at Zhou Lu and said, "Lulu, work hard to have a Year of the Tiger baby this year."
"Auntie, we are working very hard," Zhou Lu replied with a slight blush and a smile.
They were indeed working hard, but her belly wasn't cooperating yet. To have a Year of the Tiger baby, they had to put in the effort!